Belt and garment supporter.



N0'-l 720,591fl y PATENTED PEB. 17,*1so"3.y

1G. W. KOHLMANN. BELT AND GARMENT SUPPORTER'.

APPLICATION FILED IAYSI, 1902.

F0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. KOHLMANN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BELT AND GARVIENT SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters 4Patent No. 720,591, datedFebruary 17, 1903.

Application filed May 3lI 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. KoHL- MANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Belt and Garment Supporters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

One object of my invention isto provide a device adapted to be appliedto a belt which shall serve to connect the belt with the waistband oftrousers or drawers in such manner that the belt and waistband shallmutually support each other, the trousers or drawers, or both, beingheld up in proper position bythe belt, while the belt is retained inproper position around the waistband.

Another` object of my invention is to provide an improved device forsupporting articles such as chatelaines, tbc., from a belt or stockingsfrom the waistband of a nether garment.

In carrying out my invention-I employ a clasp consisting of a bodyportion having at its`upper end a hook adapted to extend over andembrace the upper edge of the waistband and at its lower end a hookadapted to receive the lower edge of a belt. The body portion isprovided with a spring'- tongue, which is connected thereto near itslower end and which has an upper :free end located when in use withinthe hook and whichis adapted to engage with the upper edge ofthewaistband Within the hook. This springfong'ue is normally flush with theVbody portion, or substantially so--z'. e., it lies substantially'in thesame vertical plane therewith-V so thatitsuppergarment-engagingendiswithdrawn from the space within the hook,allowing the hook to be readily placed over the waistband. vThe upperend ofthe tongue may, however, be moved inward, so as to grip thewaistband7 by means of a lever pivoted to the body portion, having anarmengaging the tongue close to its upper end and a longer arm outsidethe body portion, by means of which it may be operated. The lower end ofthe lever may be provided with a catch adapted to engage the lower hookof the body portion; but when the device is adapted to suspendchatelaines, dac., from a belt or hosesupporter from a waistband or beltthe catch is omitted, and instead of forming the lower Serial No.109,672. (No model.)

end of the body portion with a hook -it is formed with a slot to receivethe suspendingstrap or chains of the hose-supporter or chatelaine.

l In the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows a front elevation of mydevice applied to a belt and a pair of trousers, only so much of thebelt and trousers being shown as is necessary to illustrate how thedevice is used. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the preferred springgarment-engaging tongue. Fig. 3 is aside elevation, onan enlarged scale,of the device, the operating-lever being raised and the garment-engagingtongue being withdrawn from its engaging position. Fig. 4 shows atransverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 shows a sideelevation of the device adapted for use in connection with in Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. l to 4, inclusive, the body portion a is shownas formed at its upper end witha hook b and at its lower end with a hookc. The hook b is adapted to extendover the-top of the waistband A of apair of trousers or drawers, or both, while the lower hook is adapted toextend under the bottom of a belt B. The body portion is provided with atongue d, the upper end of which is located when in use within the upperhook b and is adapted to engage the waistband in the manner shown inFig. 4. Preferably the tongue is formed in one piece with the bodyportion in the manner indicated in Fig. 2; but it might be a separatepiece secured to the body portion, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Ineither case I prefer that the tongue shall be a spring-tongue attachedto or connected with the body portion near its lower end and free tolmove at its upper end into the upper hook when positively actuated forthis purpose. Normally the tongue ol lies in the same vertical plane.with the open, as shown in Fig. 3;but when the device is applied to thetrousers the engaging end of the tongue is forced into the hook by alever c, pivoted to the body portion near its upper end, having a shortarm f, adapted to engage the upper end of the tongue close to manner ofproviding the body portion with a chatelaines and the like orhose-supporters. y Fig. 6 isa front elevation of the device shown' bodyportion, so as to leave the upper `hook` IOO its garment-gripping end,and a longer arm g, which when the device is closed reaches to the lowerhook c and preferably engages therewith by nieansof a catch, which maybe a stud h on the lever, adapted to connect with the upper edge of thehook. The belt B is inclosed by the body portion, the lever, and thelower hook and is prevented from moving up or down, being always held inthe same position relatively to the waistband.

In applying the device the upper hook is first placed over the top ofthe waistband when the parts of the clasp are in the position shown inFig. 3. The belt is then placed in position with its lower edge in thelower hook c, and the lever is then depressed to the position shown inFig. 4. When this is done, the upper end of the tongue will be made totake a firm hold on the waistband, while the belt will be inclosed andheld in proper position by the longer arm of the lever.

My improved device is adapted to engage the waistband near its upperedge, thus holding the waistband, as well as the other parts of thegarments, erect and smooth. The lever engages the tongue close to itsgripping end, thus pressing it firmly into place and securely holding itin engagement with the waistband, and as the waistband has its extremeupper edge at the top of the hook it will be caused to spread slightlyabove the end of the tongue, and thus afford a means for preventingdisengagement of the parts. The device is compact, may be made in onlytwo parts-via ,the body portion,the tongueand the hooks forming one partand the lever the other part. It is reliable in use and may be readilyapplied or removed.

When the device is adapted for use in connection with chatelaines, &c.,or hose-supporters, the lower hook is omitted, as shown in Figs. 5 and6, and the lower end of the body portion is formed with a slot t' toreceive the strap or chain I-I. In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the tongueas being formed of a separate piece of metal and secured to the bodyportion; but it may be formed integrally therewith in the mannerindicated in Figs. l to 4, inclusive. It is essential that the tongueshould bend inward at its upper end; but so far as some features of myinvention are concerned it is immaterial whether the tongue is pivotedat its lower end, secured at this end to the body portion, or is formedin one piece therewith. I prefer, however, to always make the tongue aspring-tongue, so that when the lever is raised the tongue will withdrawfrom the hook and leave it free to receive the waistband or belt. Anypreferred number of clasps maybe employed. Where the device is adaptedfor use as a hose-supporter, two clasps are used. Where the device isused for connecting a belt with a pair of trousers, two or more may beused. The device shown in Figs. 5

and 6 may be applied to the waistband of any garment or to a suitablebelt.

I claim as my inventionl. A clasp comprising a body portion formed atits upper end with a hook, a tongue on the body portion normally outsidethe hook and having its upper end arranged close to the upper end of thehook, and a lever pivoted to the body portion near its upper end andhaving an arm engaging the tongue close to the upper, gripping endthereof and which moves the tongue into the hook.

2. A clasp adapted to attach a waistband to a belt, comprising a bodyportion formed vat its upper end with a hook adapted to pass over theupper edge of the waistband, a tongue on the body portion normallyoutside the hook and having its upper end arranged close to the upperend of the hook, and a lever pivoted to the body portion near its 'upperend and having an arm engaging the tongue close to the end thereof whichgrips the waistband.

3. A clasp adapted to connect a waistband to a belt, comprising a bodyportion formed at its upper end with a hook adapted to pass over theupper edge of the waistband,a springtongue ou the body portionnormallyoutside the hook and having its upper end arranged close to theupper end of the hook, and a lever pivoted to the body portion near itsupper end, and having an arm engaging the tongue close to the endthereof which grips the waistband and which moves the spring-tongue intothe hook.,

4.-. A clasp adapted to connect a waistband to a belt, comprising a bodyportion formed at its upper end with a hook adapted to pass over theupper edge of a waistband and at its lower end with a hook adapted toembrace the lower edge of a belt, a tongue on the body portion normallyoutside the hook and having its upper end arranged close to the upperend of the hook, and a lever pivoted to the body portion near its upperend, and having an arm engaging the tongue close to the end thereofwhich grips the waistband.

5.- A clasp adapted to connect a waistband to a belt, comprising a bodyportion formed at its upper end with a hook adapted to pass over theupper edge of the waistband, and at its lower end with a hook adapted toembrace the lower edge of the belt, a tongue on the body portion havingits upper end arranged close to the upper end of the hook, and a leverpivoted to the body portion near its upper end having an arm engagingthe tongue close to the end which grips the waistband and provided witha catch engaging the lower hook.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES W. KOI-ILMANN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES L. I-IEHL, A. WALTER JUvENAL.

TOO

TIO

